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Monday, 9 July 2012

A little this, a Little that.

It can't all be fun
and it can't all be serious; we all need a little bit of this and a little bit
of that to live our lives in full. Finding the balance is learnt over time with
experience, but it doesn't have to be your experience—you should listen and learn from those who have gone before you.

Older people have
at least one thing going for them, and that's experience. They possess an aura
that commands respect; it’s not their grey hair but the look in their eyes, that
knowing look that says “I know what I am talking about,” and in most cases,
they really do. They may not know how to use modern-day technology or
navigate their way around the web, but one thing they do have is great
knowledge that comes from experience. Have you ever looked an elderly person in
the eye? I mean really stared into those deep black pupils? Sometimes they look
distant, almost lost in thought. The layers of skin around them are
mostly sagged and wrinkled. In some the eyes are dim, in some almost
shut. But if you take some time to look back at the pair of eyes looking at
you, you'd see wisdom way beyond your
years.

I have just one
elderly woman in my life, and she's now pushing 100. I watch how she struggles
to walk for a few minutes and sits when her legs almost give way. I listen to
her pray for her kids, grandkids, and great grandkids every night. I hear her
intervene in family disputes and calm everyone when the situation is heating up.
My grandmother is a strong female figure. I remember watching her when I was
growing up. She owned a bakery and created a lot of wealth for her family. Her
loving attitude attracted people to her business, and her open heart made customers
stay. I watched her lose her husband, lose a child, survive an ethnic crisis,
and move out of the house she had lived in forever. I also watched her attend
her grandkid’s wedding, eat with the family at Christmas, rejoice with her kids
after a promotion, and enjoy incredibly good health for someone of her age.

Her life has been
an inspiration to me for as long as I can remember. She raised her kids to fear
God and encouraged them to make a difference in their own ways. Her faith in
life and her hope for a better tomorrow are stronger than a lot of young people
I know possess. In spite of the good and bad days she's lived through, she
still has a zest for life and an ambition to be a better person. My grandmother
has taught me that finding the balance in life is the key to maintaining your
joy. When the good days come, remember to enjoy the moment, and when the sad
days linger, remember that it’s only for a while. This aging woman has managed to teach me in her one little way that
every twist and turn in life has made you into what you are today and what you will
ultimately become. She has taught me to make every experience in life a step
toward achieving my goal. She has taught me not to get overly hung up on what's
going well and not to get overly down when things are not. It takes a little of
this and a little of that to create your life's story.

If I were to describe
my life's story so far, I'd say it has been a little of comedy and drama and
suspense but very little action. How would you describe your life's journey so
far in terms of movie genres?

Read. Listen. Chat.

Resident Blogger

An inspirational writer and published author of A Time to Heal, Love’s Lie and Debbie’s Diary. Her creative works are usually based on biblical principles told in a contemporary African style. Her latest book 'A Time to Heal' was nominated for the International Book Awards - Religious Fiction Category.